


Old men, those ridiculous rusting men

by SatanicMe



Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Bitching, Fluff, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Talking, child and adult talk, tony has figured out the old man's identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-11 21:23:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20160313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SatanicMe/pseuds/SatanicMe
Summary: You shouldn't talk with strangers.That's a lesson parents teach their children.Did he listen? Nope.





	Old men, those ridiculous rusting men

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iron_spider](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iron_spider/gifts).

An older man sat on a park bench, absently fiddling with an iron necklace, which heavily laid between his hands.

It was old and rusty, too chunky to be worn just for the look if it.

"Interesting necklace you've got here. Did you make it yourself?"

"Yeah. It's to help me remember. I've had a friend who told me to forget him. I refused."

A boy, intrigued by the man's behaviour, sat down next to him, while staring at the grey haired one with curious eyes.

“Who are you?”

“While our little chat is amusing me, don’t you know you are not supposed to talk with strangers?”

“Rules are for boring people. Who are you? Why do you wear sunglasses? Are you blind? Are you grumpy? Daddy wears sunglasses when he’s grumpy!”

“Seriously kid? Mind your manners. You only get yourself in trouble with that mouth. To answer your question, I wear sunglasses because awesome people always wear sunglasses.”

“But Newton was awesome, too! He did not wear sunglasses!”

“Touché, kid. Honestly, I was up veeeery late. Now my eyes are tired and are very very sensitive to light.”

“Why are you not grumpy? When daddy does that he is always grumpy!”

“Well, some people can manage staying up late better. Stop it.”

“What?”

“You have got this mischievous look.”

“What look?”

“The one, which always means trouble. Tell me, are you a troublemaker, kid?”

“No, Sir.”

“Hm... really. I call bullshit. You need to master your pokerface. Yes I saw you grin.”

“Sir, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Aw come on. This innocent card does not work on me. I can smell your shit from here. If you get called out own it. People already know so hiding makes you look pathetic.”

“Being a smart ass makes you look old.”

“It does? Huh, I thought it would make you look dumb.”

“Touché, grandpa.”

“Little man, be happy that you are just talking with me. Others would have already lectured you with your bratty attitude.”

“Nah, they would be to old to catch me.”

“Making age jokes?”

“Somebody needs to. After all being old and rusty has to be quite depressing if there is no good thing coming with that state of being.”

Tell me, boy. Are you often here?”

“In the park? Just sporadically. Whenever my dad is grumpy again.”

“Maybe we will see each other again.”

  
————-

The old man and the young boy did encounter each other again.

Although the place was another one. It was in the hospital.

“Your day was shit, kid. Wasn’t it?”

“Well, yours was probably not any better.”

“There is never a good day when it is a day with hospital visits.”

“Fact of life. I don’t know how people can survive here staying overnight! It’s so much death surrounding you.”

“They got used to it.”

“Why are you here, grandpa?”

“Me? Just check up. You know, old people stuff. Our bodies aren’t the best anymore, things tend to rust.”

“Can you still get your penis to stand up or did it rust already?”

“It still can stand.”

“But who would like it? It is old and wrinkly. Don’t people prefer new ones?”

“That is nothing you need to worry about for a long time, little guy.”

“Ew. Did you just call me a nickname people use for their penises?”

“You always manage to surprise me as soon you open your little mouth, brat.”

“You have not told me to fuck off, yet.”

“Would you leave if I did?”

“Nope. You are funny to talk with. Others always treat me like a baby who does not even know the difference between being in love and making love.”

“Other people are oblivious to special individuals like us.”

“They are. It is like they can not even see us!”

“Boy, they do not see us. They are to occupied with their own little world that they do not notice what is in front of them.”

“It sucks. So many things would be easier if they would see people like us.”

“Yeah. Yeah, they would. What is up with you anyways? Little kids like you normally do not hang around here with swollen lips and blue eyes.”

“Dad was grumpy.”

“Well, shit.”

“Doesn’t make it better.”

“I know. But it is at least the truth.”

“Yeah. Tell me, why do people act funny?”

“Guess, they want to show you how sorry they are because they believe that their words alone can make your pain stop.”

“It’s ridiculous.”

————

The next time they met was at midnight in the park again.

“Hey, Lord Snooty. You are up late today, aren’t you?”

“Hrmpf...”

“What happened? You would normally have insulted me already at this time. Come little sourpuss. Tell your old and wrinkly fake grandpa what’s up with you!”

“I have to leave in a week. He’s sending me off to boarding school.”

"I see. Wanna eat some ice? I know the right place for a little runt like you.”

“I can’t pa-“

“Do never ever try to complete that sentence in my presence! chop chop, baby boy. I might be not a nine year old but that doesn’t mean I am slow.”

“Is it death you are scared of or why are you so impatient?”

“No... not exactly death. I just- let us enjoy the fucking night, ok?”

“You have to go for a longer time. Don’t you? We won't see each other soon again.”

“Yeah. I have to leave.”

“Why? Why do you have to leave me? I thought we were friends!”

“We are friends. Never think anything less. The thing is... I was never supposed to even be here. That means I have to return to my home.”

“Am I not good enough?”

“You are good enough. If circumstances were different I would have happily stayed here.”

“So this is it? You will make one last show before leaving the stage of my life and our paths will never cross again?”

“Kinda. It’s how the world works, kid.”

“I will miss you.”

“Well, remember that your grandpa will miss you more.”

“Ice?”

“Yep. For the heartbreak.”

“You suck.”  
  
“And you could be more grateful. I normally am not a person to do the whole ‘farewell’ stuff.”

“Me neither.”

“The universe likes to play with us.”

“Yep.”

—————  
Sometime later they sat together on a park bench watching the first sun rays gracing the sky.

“Will you tell me who you are now?”

“Kiddo, let that secret stay a mystery. It is a question that I will not be able to offer an answer to.”

“Are you an agent?”

“No. I would never manage to stick to the rules.”

“Where are you going?”

“Far away to a place out of your reach, sadly.”

“Guess I can not highjack the ride?"

"Nope, you can't. It's too dangerous."

"Since when do you care about my safety?"

"I don't. I should but I really don't."

"What the hell, grandpa. Way to go to make someone feel important."

"It's not because of you. Don't forget, you're special. The not caring part... it is just a quirky trait of mine which I can't explain."

"You don't know or I am not allowed to know?"

"Second."

"I hate it. I thought you weren't a stuck up rule abiding goody shoes guy."

"The fact I won't tell you my secrets doesn't mean I like abiding rules."

"It does."

"Nahhh. I am only an intelligent human being who's aware of the consequences."

"Goody two shoes."

"Shut up and enjoy the sunrise. I will leave afterwards."

"No. I thought-"

"That we would have more time to insult each other? Sadly, I've got to admit that I'm already late with my departure. I can't stick around any longer."

"Oh come on. And here I started to like the Oldtimer, that kept nagging about everything. "

"Gimme a hug, you little son of a bastard."

"A... hug?"

"Most important lesson in your life: Hugs are medicine for the soul's restlessness."

The boy shook disbelieving his head, but proceeded to hug the old man nonetheless.

While they were embracing each other, the older one muttered silently, barely audible some words.

"You figured it out. Didn't you?"

"You are from the future. I know. That's why you can't say anything. Spoilers are awful."

The older one chuckled amused as he then stood up and straightened out his clothes.

"Yep. So this is it."

"The dramatic goodbye."

"I expected something to explode."

"Me too."

"Well, you can't have everything. Right?"

"True."

"Goodbye, little trouble maker."

"Goodbye, senior citizen of the Lilliputians"

"Forget me."

"Why should I? You're too funny to not laugh at."

With a menacing glare the old man turned to dust in front of the boy's eyes. He kept eying the empty spot for a hour, before he turned around and walked away.

When he arrived, he silently swore to not follow grumpy man's and made a necklace in his father's workshop. While it was sturdy and heavy, the boy always remembered the odd man with the help of his laces' weight.

\-----

"Interesting necklace you've got. Did you make it yourself?"

"Yes, platypus. You know I had found a friend before you. Poor you. You ain't my first partner in crime."

"You never told me about him. What's his name, Tones?"

"He couldn't tell me because he had to leave. I don't want to lose him by forgetting him so I've got this awful thing."

"It is... nice?"

"Lie. The chunky bit of iron is a scandalous insult. Just like him."

"Bet, he was just as bad as you."

No, he's worse because he had decades of experience."

"I don't regret not being able to meet him. One of you is already a punishment because let's be serious. You are a mess."

A pillow flew through the air hitting Rhodes straight into his face. 


End file.
